Dec 2-3, 1984- One of the most tragic incidents in history of modern India. The gas leak from the Union Carbide plant kills around 4000 people or more in Bhopal. The after effects are more horrifying, countless people in the vicinity of the plant are injured or maimed, children born with physical deformities. Forget the stats, the bitter reality is that countless families were destroyed, lives ruined, dreams dashed to the ground, just because of the negligence of the Union Carbide officials.
25 years have passed since the tragedy has taken place, the CEO of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, has fled, and lives somewhere in luxury. For 25 years the people and affected victims of Bhopal, aided by the media, have been waging a relentless struggle against Union Carbide, seeking justice. And finally the court gives a 2 year sentence to 8 accused and even worse, most of them are out on bail, within short notice.
This is not a verdict, it is a horrible SICK JOKE, played on the ordinary people of Bhopal, who have had to bear the brunt of the disaster. It is a SICK JOKE, on the families that lost their loved ones, or bread earners. It is a SICK JOKE on the countless children born maimed, paralyzed, disfigured for no fault of theirs. The tragedy in Bhopal goes beyond mere statistics, it is about families and generations destroyed, for no fault of theirs. And what do the perpetrators get?
JUST 2 YEARS IN JAIL. THIS IS SHAMEFUL.
The deadly gas MIC(Methyl Iso Cynate), that was responsible for the horrendous tragedy, has been banned in many of the Western nations, why did Union Carbide, agree to use it in India?Is it because Indian lives are so cheap?
It is widely known that Union Carbide had disregarded all kinds of safety warnings, and the plant was dangerous from the day it started. Had the same Union Carbide plant been located in US or any other Western nation, it could not have functioned with such lax standards. Why do most of the Western MNC's relax their safety standards in India, is it because they assume we are EASY and EXPENDABLE?
And of course there is our "economist" and "free trade"lobby, which just can't look beyond "growth rate", "GDP"and"investment".They want the Govt not to pursue this case further, as it would mean hurting foreign investment. Damn, we are not some American or British colony, for MNC's to come and dump their waste goods in the name of "investment". We are a sovereign nation, and if the MNC's want to invest in India, they do it on our "terms". Why should MNC's feel that "environmental" and "safety" standards in India or any 3rd world nation for that matter should be relaxed? Are our lives so cheap and expendable?
I am sure that had the Union Carbide disaster happened in the US, by now Warren Anderson would have been cooling his heels in prison, instead he lives in a luxury villa outside New York. I just want to say one thing to our political leaders "SHOW A SPINE PLEASE FOR GOD'S SAKE". It is we the Citizens of India who have elected you, not Union Carbide or the American Govt. Please stop grovelling before Uncle Sam for everything, and stand up for us.
And to the citizens of Bhopal, I just have to say one thing, Go ahead with your struggle, we are with you. Show to the world, that not every Indian is willing to grovel, and not all Indian citizens are spineless jokers. Keep up the struggle, and don't let Union Carbide get away with the holocaust they have perpetrated on your city.
